Why conforming is good

Important factors include:. Examples of influential factors:. Understanding conformity can help you make sense of the reasons why some people go along with the crowd, even when their choices seem out of character for them.

It can also help you see how other people's behavior may influence the choices you make. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Breckler, S.

Social Psychology Alive. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Eysenck, M. Psychology: An International Perspective. Front Neurosci.

Published Feb Deutsch, M. A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 51 3 , — Quantifying compliance and acceptance through public and private social conformity. Conscious Cogn. Le texier T. Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Am Psychol. The biological bases of conformity. Both experiments included pay incentives, which were based on performance. UBC News. Majority rule: why conformity can actually be a good thing Jul 28, For more information, contact Glenn Drexhage. Michael Muthukrishna. The book argues in favor of the checks and balances that exist in the federal system, where cascades can be broken by a House and Senate that are often at odds, for instance. He also argues that freedom of association provides a safeguard against informational and reputational influences that can lead people to conform without considering the downsides of a point of view or plan of action.

Citing the raft of studies showing that the presence of a dissenting judge on federal panels can significantly change outcomes, Sunstein argues for greater diversity on the federal bench. Lastly, Sunstein dives into the debate over affirmative action in higher education. He offers a somewhat nuanced view: Racial diversity—the main topic of many higher education debates—can in some circumstances be important, but is not a cure-all.

To the extent that racial and cultural diversity helps promote those debates, Sunstein appears to be in favor. But he also argues that there are many paths to an ideologically diverse classroom. In his conclusion, Sunstein again concedes that conformity can sometimes benefit society.

Become a subscribing member today. Scroll To Top In the U. The upside and downside of conformity. Special Event: Bridging Differences Join us to learn research-based strategies for dialogue and understanding Register Here. The actions that groups play some individuals to make them conform creates a dangerous issue because it forces a loss of personal identity. Each person is uniquely different from every other. You must have access to a system of checks and balances within our society to help determine a fair definition of equality.

If everyone were to conform to do the same thing all the time without questioning the rules, it would be challenging to find moments of innovation. Conformity can create an unjust world. We want to think that all societies are based on the overall good that humanity can achieve. The reality of life is that things are very different. All one has to do is look at the impact of Nazi Germany on the world in the 20th century to understand that power can be used for evil just as it can be used for good.

There is no excuse for someone to conform to society when the outcome harms others. Conformity can lead to dependence. When people choose to conform to groups instead of turning their own course, they begin to give things over to the Society to which they want to belong.

This process often occurs without the person even giving that element of their life a second thought. Although it is a good thing for society to experience the talents and skills that someone can bring to it, there must also be a consideration for independent thought. Blindly handing over your assets for social gratification only benefits the people who receive those items.

Conformity often leads to apathy. The desire for conformity on an individual level often creates a group apathy that becomes prevalent in society. The people who try to conform often feel like they can do the same things that the groups they observe are doing in the current moment. When they are on able to achieve that success, they look to a higher power to handle whatever problems they feel are impacting their efforts.

Blind trust always creates problems in a society. It also generates feelings were people decide that issues are not their problem. They decided that everyone else should handle the situation and place pressure on others just as their preferred groups place it on them.

Conformity encourages a lack of diversity. The action of conformity in society will always reduce diversity. People will be getting filtering toward groups that make them feel comfortable.